Various exercise machines are known which purport to strengthen and tone the muscles of the abdominal region. Certain of these machines provide for exercising the upper and/or lower abdominals by moving about one or more horizontal pivot axes while pivoting the upper torso in one direction and pivoting the legs or knees in another direction. Other machines focus mainly on exercising the upper and side abdominals by allowing a bending and twisting movement. Some of these machines are reliant upon using the body weight of the exerciser, while others utilize some sort of fixed or adjustable resistance system to provide a working force against which an exerciser pulls during exercise of the abdominal muscles.
Despite the wide variety of abdominal exercise machines available to the public, most are designed for comfort and ease of use, and do not provide for highly efficient abdominal movements conducive to developing quality abdominal musculature while properly supporting one's back. In addition, many exercisers become bored or disinterested with the limited capability of today's abdominal exercise machines. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an exercise machine with total back support which overcomes the deficiencies and drawbacks of the prior art, and more efficiently works the upper, lower and oblique portions of one's abdominal area. Further, it is desirable to provide an exercise machine having an adjustable arrangement for presenting various types of resistance which will appeal to a variety of exercisers.